The Human Right Campaign gave Costco a score of 90 out of a possible 100 points in its most recent Corporate Equality Index Rating, an assessment of LGBT policies in the workplace, And job site Glassdoor just cited Costco as one of the three best companies to work for in America because of their pay and benefit packages.

Netflix held steady in the second place spot, while like Costco, Panera Bread made a big jump, from number 19 last year to number 3 this year. Last fall, Panera CEO Ron Schaich took what is known as the “SNAP Challenge” – eating at poverty levels for $31.50 for one week. The chain is known for donating their unsold food to local hunger relief and recently announced they are removing all artificial ingredients by 2016.

Apple and Subway both re-appear on the top 20 ranking after not being on it last year. Debuts on this year’s top 20 ranking include Ace Hardware, Subaru, Lowe’s, Johnson & Johnson, V8 juice, Home Depot, Maytag and Bose. V8 also debuted on this year’s best perceived brands by fathers that YouGov BrandIndex released earlier this month.

Target, Aflac, M&Ms and HBO, among others, fell out of the Top 20 altogether in a year bursting with surprises.

But on the positive side of things, a handful of brands that regularly show their love for the gay community debuted in this year's Top 20, including: Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Subaru, Bose and more.